Midwife Accused Of Pouring Milk Over A Newborn And Swearing At A New Dad

14/08/2014 16:50
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Updated
22 May 2015

Kelly Rose Bradford
Parentdish UK

A Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing has been told that a midwife poured milk over a distressed baby's face and said 'That's for throwing up on me'.

Joanne Scott is further alleged to have 'photographed the child on her phone' because her own husband and daughter 'would find it funny' while on a night shift at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead in 2008.

Derek Zeitlin, for the NMC, told the hearing that the baby was in a 'quite unsettled state' and that Scott 'took the baby rather toughly in her hands' resulting in the infant being sick on her, reports the Mail.

"Scott's colleague put the baby back and remonstrated with the registrant about the rough handling and took the baby in her arms," Mr Zeitlin said. "The registrant went away and came back with a bottle of milk which her colleague saw without a teat on it. Scott poured that over the baby, saying 'that's for throwing up on me'."

The Mirror reports that Scott is then alleged to have photographed the baby, and when questioned about it by her colleague, told her that she would send it to her husband and her daughter who would find it funny.

The incident came to light when a whistle blower reported Scott a few months later - apparently too afraid to say anything at the time as she was a junior member of staff.

The hearing was also told that Scott stood accused of swearing at the husband of a woman giving birth on October 11, 2010.

The mother had previously been sent home by Scott, who had told her she was not in labour.

Mr Zeitlin said: "The upshot of that was that when the mother did eventually give birth she did so in the ambulance taking her back to the hospital. Her husband was with her at the time and he was very scared as to what was going on.

"When they arrived at the hospital there was a conversation which took place between the father and the registrant, part of which was overheard by a colleague. The father explained that he was very scared and she had no idea why he was scared because she had explained what he had to do when they got home."

Scott is then alleged to have asked the man: 'Did you nearly sh*t yourself?' before telling him: 'That is because you're f***ing useless'.

The midwife is also accused of breaching professional boundaries by befriending a mother on Facebook who had just given birth at the hospital.

She is also charged with using her mobile phone - instead of official hospital camera equipment - to take a picture of another baby. The child – referred to as Baby C in court - was suffering from a condition which left it half one colour and half another.

Scott had claimed she had taken the photograph to show the paediatrician, but there was no supporting medical records to suggest she had sought permission from the infant's mother to take the picture, or that she had shown it to the paediatrician. It was also alleged that the image was not deleted in a 'prompt manner' from her mobile phone.

Scott admits adding a mother as a friend on Facebook, and all charges against her relating to Baby C, as well as swearing at the father-to-be, but denies that she called him 'f***ing useless'.